Re: TrollTech releases QT for Mac under GPL
Re: TrollTech releases QT for Mac under GPL
- Subject: Re: TrollTech releases QT for Mac under GPL
- From: Robert Palmer <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 10:16:19 -0400
On Thursday, June 19, 2003, at 10:42 AM, Sailesh Agrawal wrote:
I think I'll soon be switching to QT/C++.
I've never used it, but saw one app that did and wasn't impressed.
I'm continually surprised at how Mac users embrace platform dependent
code. I would have thought we would be the first to push for cross
platform and open programs.
caveat - this is a generalization and may not apply to EVERY framework,
but I think it sums up the general argument.
The vast majority of "cross platform" frameworks are really "windows
frameworks" or "X11 frameworks" that have been made to work on the
Mac/Unix/???. The point here is that, though the app may run on OS X
and the performance _may_ be acceptable, the user experience is
anything _but_ acceptable. One of the most obvious cases is the
open/save dialogs. Most of the frameworks I have seen (can't speak for
Qt specifically) present the user with a very MS Windows like UI, not
the OS X UI they are used to. I don't mean just the look either, I
mean, what buttons exist, where they are placed, how the user interacts
with them. This is just the most obvious example, it goes on from
there.
"cross platform" usually ends up meaning - lowest common denominator,
and that means I can't take advantage of platform specific features;
for example sheets and drawers on the Mac.
If you factor your code well, you can write good cross platform code
for the heavy lifting that doesn't sacrifice functionality, then write
platform specific code for the UI.
BTW, an interesting flip side to the first case above is Metrowerks
PowerPlant, which makes a framework that creates windows programs that
function in a more Mac like way - and I've seen Windows programmers say
they don't like Metrowerks IDE (written using powerplant) BECAUSE of
that - it's not "windows like".
Bottom line is that it is all about the IMAGE that you or your company
want to convey to your users.
Robert Palmer, Jr
email@hidden
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